Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.
Let's get to it.
Chapter 8- Gold Beach
(0715 local time)
In the fortifications at the back of Gold Beach, German defenders watch anxiously as British landing craft approach the beach. The landing craft include a mix of American and British landing craft from the future and British landing craft of the time. These landing craft are carrying men of the British 1st Armoured Division and the 3 Commando Brigade of the Royal Marines..
In the lead landing craft, an LCAC on loan from the US, British troops watch as Gold Beach comes into view. As they watch, several A-10s from the 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron make attack runs on the beach, strafing and dropping bombs on the German lines. The A-10s then pull up and head for the Channel so they can refuel, having already been airborne for a long time. In the meantime, British Harriers move in to provide close air support as the troops hit the beach.
The Germans have been hammered here at Gold Beach. Almost half of the German defenses and the men manning them have been eliminated by Allied bombings and the naval bomardment. However, the ones that are left are determined to fight.
As the landing craft approach the beach, the Germans begin firing. A handful of artillery shells land in the water but miss the incoming landing craft.
The first LCAC reaches the beach. As it lowers its ramp, the first British unit exits onto the beach. A Challenger 1 tank, followed by a platoon of infantry.
As the British tank rolls onto the beach, the Germans stare in shock. They did not know that the British had tanks the size of the Challenger 1. Now, as the first Challenger rolls onto the beach, they know they have to try and knock it out if they're to have any chance.
The Germans pour rifle, machine gun, and artillery fire towards the Challenger. Several British troops are killed by the incoming fire and scatter, especially once they realize the fire is focused on the Challenger.
The British tank resists it all. Two artillery shells hit the tank directly, and all but bounce off its hull. The Challenger responds to the fire by targeting one of the artillery pieces firing at it and fires its 120mm gun, destroying the piece instantly.
The Challenger rolls forward up the beach as more landing craft hit the shore. Several hundred British troops rush out of the landing craft, as well as 3 more Challengers and 3 Warrior armored fighting vehicles.
The British, unlike the Americans at Omaha and Utah, however, do not have such a simple way off the beach. The relatively high cliffs at the back of Gold Beach will make an exit off the beach difficult. Most of the British soldiers take shelter behind the Challengers and Warriors as they come ashore. There is a major way off the beach, but it is heavily guarded.
However, the British have prepared for this. As more and more British troops hit the beach, the sound of helicopters suddenly fills the air. As Harriers dive in to make attacks on the German defenders to keep them busy, a formation of British Chinooks and US Marine Corps Sea Stallions approaches Gold Beach. The helicopters are carrying British troops from the 1st Armoured, 500 in total. Their goal is to be landed on the main path off Gold Beach, capture the German defenses and eliminate the defenders, and hold it so that the division can begin to advance off the beach.
As the helicopters move in to land, the four tanks currently ashore fire their main guns into the German defenses. At almost the same time, the attendant Harriers drop 500 pound bombs and fire volleys of rockets and Maverick missiles into the German defenses.
Finally, the helicopters reach the gap. Despite German fire coming their way, they set down as best as they can, open up, and allow their troops to disembark, while machine gunners on the helicopters fire back at the German defenders to try and take some fire off of the helicopters. The troops are almost immediately under fire, quickly begin to return fire despite initial casualties. The Harriers move in again, now using their internal cannons to attack the German defenders. The helicopters quickly flee back to the fleet, several of them damaged, and one crashing on its way back to the fleet from the damage it sustained.
However, despite the damage they have sustained, the helicopters did their job. The British troops move quickly on the German defenses. Despite how well prepared they are on paper, the Germans are caught off guard by the helicopters landing troops right on top of them. It takes less than 10 minutes before the British have mostly secured the defensive positions lining the way off the beach.
After confirming his troops are in position, the battalion commander of the troops landed by helicopter gets on his radio to the commanders assaulting the beach, calling out, "Defensive positions secured. Vehicles clear to advance."
Within moments, the tanks on the beach make for the gap secured by the helicopter troops. Despite German fire, the tanks move virtually unhindered, and the troops of the beach storm after them towards the gap.
In a matter of 10 more minutes, the British have achieved their breakout from the beach itself. Challengers that have come ashore dig in to hold the pass off the beach as Warriors now off the beach begin attacking the Germans from the rear. The Harriers have now been called back due to low fuel and weapons, but in their place, the A-10s from the 509th have returned and begin strafing the Germans.
As the 1st Armoured Division is securing most of the beach, the battalions from the 3 Commando Brigade have reached the western portion of the beach. Their objective is to quickly capture the small harbor of Port-en-Bessin. Their plan is to come ashore in this portion, which is less heavily defended. Unlike in the original version of history, they are landing much sooner. They are also accompanied by two tank platoons from the 1st Armoured, one of which will help them capture the harbor. After securing the beach, about 500 of the commandos along with the tank platoon, would advance towards the harbor. Their plan was to reach the harbor sometime after noon, and hopefully capture it quickly.
The first landing craft carrying the 3 Commando Brigade hit the beach at 0734. One of the tank platoons is the first ashore to cover the commandos as they come ashore. The Challengers start firing at the few German defenses at the back of the beach as the commandos begin to come ashore. A welcome attack by a flight of American F-111 fighter bombers blasts the German positions, killing most of the defenders. The few left realize they're outmatched and begin to hoist white flags in the hope of surrendering.
The commandos quickly take notice of this and move forward to take the Germans into custody. Once they have secured their prisoners, they begin gathering up their equipment and preparing to advance off the beach.
Out at sea, the British general in command of the 1st Armoured, Major general Richard Swinburn, is paying close attention to the radio transmissions coming in from his troops on the beach. The reports are promising. His idea to conduct the dangerous helicopter insertion right on top of the enemy positions had come at a cost, but had proven incredibly effective. One of the men ashore had reported that this manuever might have saved the division as much as an hour of work trying to get off the beach.
The 1st Armoured have gotten about half of their tanks ashore and hundreds of troops. With the Challengers leading the charge, the British have already managed to establish a beachhead, and units from the division have reported that they now control much of the town of Arromanches.
The landing at Gold has gone better than Swinburn had hoped, and far better than it had in the original version of history.
And, I'll end there. Yes, I know this has been a short chapter, but that was somewhat intended, to show how much easier things have gotten with the future units taking part.
Next chapter will be up soon, and will be Juno Beach. Until it's up, please leave a review, and stay tuned!